When I was in High School, one of my teachers always used to say, "Enjoy this time; this is the best time of your life." I've been incredibly fortunate to have had many such moments. High school wasn't the best, but it was a great time.
No responsibilities. No bills to pay, mostly. Go to school and spend time with friends. It was carefree.
Afterward, I joined the military and had many great experiences. As I stayed, I also encountered more challenging times. As we continue through life, we run into rough patches. Struggle rears its ugly head.
But no matter what life throws at you, there is still that great gift. The gift we all have but few realize.
In my darkest moments, I remembered a documentary I had watched. It featured interviews with cancer patients. Their message was inspiring. Even in the fight of their lives, they maintained a positive attitude.
Their message was to live one day at a time, each minute at a time.
The greatest gift is potential. Every day is potential—the possibility of interactions or happy surprises.
Each day on that road isn't easy. But another day, we are alive we can work toward that possibility.
The purpose is what powers a well-lived life, but the potential is what accomplishes it.
Truthfully, any advice on potential is bound to be incredibly vague. We're talking about your potential here, and I don't know you. What I do know is what I've experienced and learned.
Here are some tips that have helped me and will hopefully help you too.
Start Big, Work Small
The only way we discover what we're capable of is through challenges. You don't get stronger without resistance. You don't learn without failure.
Outline a BIG dream. Something you want to achieve. Something that may seem impossible. Please write it down. Do you want to earn 50 million dollars in your lifetime? Do you want to run a Fortune 500 company? Do you want to buy a home in a particular neighborhood?
Good. Write down precisely what you want. Give yourself a direction, then do the work.
Do the small incremental steps that build to the BIG goal. You don't have to tell anyone, or you can tell everyone. Either way has worked for others.
The goal should be giant so that you really must push yourself hard. Don't consider the logistics. Just start the work.
Rethink, Review, Recalibrate
If you are stuck or failing more often, you need an after-action report. It is a report where you go over a project or mission and review what happened. It helps to identify problems and offer solutions to things that don't work.
It helps to reiterate the things that did work and why they worked.
Review your day to find areas where you could improve. Rethink your approach if you keep running into roadblocks. Recalibrate your process to find something that will be more effective.
It is a great idea to reflect on where you are versus where you are heading. Are you getting closer or further from your dreams?
This review process is vital to succeeding. If you have a failing plan, you need to discover the issues as soon as possible.
Search for Solutions
Not everything will go smoothly. There will always be problems, no matter your pursuits. Be solution oriented.
Many people catastrophize, which means the worst-case scenario is quick. When a roadblock appears, it is an excuse to stop acting.
Too tired from a workout, so I stay in bed. It's too cold to get up early. I don't have time to chase my goal today because of all these meetings and appointments.
Excuses don't matter, only results. Instead, attempt to solve problems. You can't get a shipment in when you need it? What are your options? Think them through—work on continually searching for solutions.
Our brain is a muscle. Feed it. Stretch it. Work it out consistently, and it will get stronger.
What's Next?
Our greatest gift is potential. People go from broke to wealthy, wealthy to broke. Each day provides us with opportunity, and purpose powers us through.
Dream big. Think of how you want to live in the future. Then work on small steps to slowly build that life. You may not quite make it, but you will be surprised how far you can go.
Continually evaluate where you are and where you are going. If you are off course, make the corrections.
Be solution oriented. Look at roadblocks as a puzzle to solve. Work hard to solve them and move forward.
We all have potential but may need help to reach it. We can't find our limits until we push ourselves to them. Get started today and see how far you can push yourself.